Friday, May 29, 2009

I wasn't sure how or when these banner designs were going to be revealed so I held off on posting this piece, but since my banner was featured in paper earlier this week I figure I'm in the clear. East End Main Street is an organization with the goal of constantly improving and accentuating the east end of my hometown, Charleston, WV. The east side of Charleston is typically known as the more historic side, and is also home to the state capitol complex. They began a program this year called the Streetworks Project that asked local artists to create banners of what the east side meant to them, and I was lucky enough to be invited to participate. The banners will be displayed on the streets of the east end for a year starting in the next few weeks, and then the original pieces will be auctioned off on June 21.

The original artwork for my piece is below, just click for a bigger version. Simply put, the east end means childhood to me because it is where I attended daycare, grade school, and juior high. I wanted to make an image that displayed the historic visual appeal of the east side but at the same time show how historical significance isn't necessarily something a child notices; they tend to just want to have fun and nuts to the rest.